Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 15:19:40 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 6, chapters 33 - 34
Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 33 -- A Few More Precious Memories.
**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.
A few days after we discovered Andrew had won ribbons for his artwork, we
received more good news. I was advised through one of my contacts that
Sammy's essay on history had qualified him to be one of the students chosen
to participate in a very special camp. There were only sixty students
selected from throughout the region and they would attend the camp in early
May, instead of going to their regular classes.
Although I never did figure out whether Sammy was motivated by Trey and
Dion's success or if he had entered this contest so Andrew wouldn't upstage
him, it didn't really matter. Sammy had qualified to go and this became
his turn to shine. What impressed me even more about his success was the
fact that nearly every freshman history student in the area had written an
essay for this contest, but only sixty were chosen. This meant the winners
represented less than 5% of those who entered, so I was extremely proud of
Sammy's accomplishment.
Thinking about all the boys' recent accolades, it reminded me of a phrase
the first President Bush had used. He referred to outstanding Americans as
'points of light' illuminating America's future. I've learned over the
past months and years that I have several points of light of my own,
brightening my life and preparing to make their own unique impact in this
world. I consider myself a very fortunate guy.
As May approached, not only did we have Sammy's camp looming before us, but
there were also several graduations coming up and Peter's arrival as well.
The first event would be Mark's graduation and we'd all be going to see him
get his degree. After that, Frankie would graduate next, with a degree in
criminal justice from his two-year college. At nearly the same time,
Dustin would be graduating from his community college with a degree in
Business Administration. He was planning on looking for a job in HVAC
(heating, ventilation and air conditioning) afterward and then he hoped to
start his own business, once he had enough experience.
Peter had expressed a desire to arrive from Australia a few days before the
high school graduation ceremony and I was looking forward to finally
meeting him in person. While making arrangements for his trip, however, we
ran into a hitch. There was a minor problem with Peter getting his
passport, with the appropriate visas, in time to make it for the ceremony.
Unfortunately, due to these problems it turned out he wouldn't be able to
be there for Ricky's graduation.
Peter and Ricky were a little disappointed, but this was beyond our
control. I told Peter I'd videotape the graduation for him, so he could
see it later, but I knew it wouldn't be quite the way he wanted to
experience it. However, he took it in stride and agreed that would be
fine.
Not only would Ricky be graduating from high school, but Pat and Jay would
also be getting their diplomas at the same time. Even though Jay is
technically not part of our family, he is included in nearly all of our
activities and is like another son/brother to each of us. Therefore, we
weren't about to leave him out of this celebration, and his parents would
be included too.
Before any of these events took place, the history camp would be held. The
information packet Sammy had been given explained it would be an
archaeological adventure, mixed with the opportunity to experience
activities from the past. It sounded interesting, at least from my
perspective, so I hoped Sammy would find it equally intriguing.
The winners met at a central location and were bused to the campsite. Once
they arrived, they were split into smaller groups, of ten each, and would
stay in these groups most of the time. There were a variety of activities
planned and the students would spend half a day experiencing each one.
Occasionally, the groups would join together for some larger activities,
but most of the learning would be done in the smaller combinations.
Sammy told me later about the things they did, so I'll try to relate them
to you. This way you'll be able to appreciate his experience too. The
archaeological site wasn't really a dig, but merely a chance to locate and
discuss various items. A college professor and a couple of his graduate
students were in charge and had 'seeded' the site with artifacts the
students could discover. All of these artifacts were from a previous
period in our history and were selected to explore various topics and
stimulate further discussion and investigation.
Once the students 'discovered' these items, the instructor would initiate a
discussion about what the objects might be, what they could have been used
for, how they were handled and who might have required such an item. The
groups also studied the layout of the site and made conjectures about why
they had found these items where they did.
The area had been 'seeded' with a variety of interesting artifacts, which
included square nails, a blacksmith's tools, a worn out sickle, a
pitchfork, a pickaxe, an old metal flatiron (the type you would heat on a
stove), a washboard, a two-man hand saw, an axe, a hatchet and some
chisels. In addition to the tools, there were pieces of old pottery,
dishes, utensils and an assortment of bottles, made of various colored
glass. Some of the bottles were blue, others green, a few were amber and
the rest either brown or clear. They also came in a variety of sizes and
shapes.
Once the students located and identified the items, they would discuss what
they were used for. For example, when looking at the bottles, they would
try to determine whether these items might have contained medicines,
perfumes or beverages. Then, they would try to determine the reason for
using colored glass, instead of clear glass. The discussion would include
such ideas as whether it was done to prevent sunlight from affecting the
composition of the materials contained within the bottles, merely for
aesthetic purposes or if it was for some other reason.
After discussing the uses of the various items, the students were then
asked to imagine how difficult even simple tasks must have been to perform
during those times. Realizing everything was done by hand, the students
came to understand there were many steps required to complete tasks, such
as doing the laundry, making a meal or heating your home in the winter. It
wasn't quite as simple as today, where you pop the clothes into the washing
machine, buy your food at a store and then prepare it using a stove or
microwave, or turning up the thermostat, if the house became too chilly.
Not only were more steps required, but the tools they used to complete
these tasks were also more primitive and more difficult to regulate. For
example, it was nearly impossible to keep a constant temperature while
cooking over an open fire, even one contained in a wood stove. Only the
wealthy could afford to have others do these things for them, so most
people had to figure it out for themselves or in cooperation with groups of
others. I think over time, the participants slowly began to comprehend how
different and difficult life was in the past.
The students were then asked to try to figure out the layout of the home,
by studying the foundation and considering the items found in various
locations. Once they had the house mapped out, they were asked to
determine what the other, smaller foundations might have been used for.
After this was settled, they would discuss the use of these smaller
buildings.
It was difficult for many of the students to envision the lack of indoor
plumbing and, hence, the need for an outhouse or a spring to supply clean
water. They were so used to having all the water they needed and several
toilets to select from when nature called, so the need for these articles
was totally foreign to them. Having just a single spring, from which you
would use a bucket to draw the water, before lugging it back to the house,
or a single, wood outhouse, sometimes complete with splinters, seemed
totally incomprehensible.
Once the students understood the use of these buildings, they were then
informed about how it would be decided where they would have been located.
After learning the outhouse was only roughly similar to a porta-potty, it
was explained it would have been located far enough from the house so the
smell wouldn't drift back into the living quarters and placed so the rains
wouldn't carry the waste material toward their water supply.
After this had been explored, the group would talk about how often the
outhouse would have been moved, since it would eventually fill up. They
would also learn what would be done before the hole was filled in, to keep
the material from contaminating other areas. They also learned that some
of the wealthier families might have a 'two-holer,' with one side being for
the ladies and the other for the men.
"When excavating such a site," the grad-student began, "how could we
determine which side the women used and which was for the men?"
"You mean we'll have to dig in that crap?" one student shouted, alarmed.
"No, this is hypothetical," he assured him. "But if we did, how would we
decide which side was for whom?"
"They all crap the same, don't they?" another student joked.
"Yes, and this doesn't have to do with bodily functions," the grad-student
responded, mildly annoyed. "Think of something else they might have done
in there, like some students might do in the lavatories at school."
"They smoked weed in there?" another commented, without thinking first.
This caused many of the others to break out laughing.
"Not weed, but they might have smoked in there," the instructor replied,
amused. "Many of the women would have refused to let the men smoke in the
house, since the smell would have attached itself to nearly everything and
yellowed both fabric and paint."
"So we'd look for cigarette butts?" a girl asked.
"Not cigarettes," the grad-student told him, "but they did smoke in the
outhouse."
"So we look for pipes?" another girl inquired.
"Not pipes either," he replied.
"Cigars?" someone else volunteered, timidly.
"Not exactly, but close enough," their instructor replied, encouraged they
had finally gotten this far. "The cigars would have been wrapped in a
protective coating and that would have been found on the men's side of the
outhouse."
Now that this was settled, the grad-student explained what the occupants of
the house might have done at night, rather than venture out to use the
outhouse in the dark.
"The people who lived there would have used chamber pots for this purpose,"
he told them. "The pots would have been either ceramic or enamel coated
metal. The closest thing you might know to these would be the stainless
steel bedpans used in hospitals. There would have been a chamber pot in
every room, usually kept under the bed, and they would have had to be
emptied each morning."
"Yuck! They pee and poop in those at night and then have to clean them out
the next morning," one disgusted girl commented.
"Basically, but they would primarily be used to urinate, not defecate," the
instructor informed them.
"I guess that means they'd only pee and not crap in the chamber pot,"
another student added, in an attempt to clarify the terms the college
student had used.
"It's still gross," someone else observed, before this discussion ended.
Even though the topic didn't go as smoothly as planned, the students still
found it informative and began to better appreciate the advantages they now
enjoyed.
At the teaching locations away from the main facility, there were outhouses
provided for the students to use, when the need arose. Of course, toilet
paper was also supplied, so no one had to resort to using newspapers,
magazines or sponges, as people living in an earlier era might have done.
In another class, the students were given the opportunity to card wool,
which would have been required to provide the yarn used to make clothing
and other fabric. The carding was accomplished by drawing the raw wool
between two small paddles, which had thistles or little metal teeth
imbedded in them. The wool was pulled between these paddles to straighten
and separate the fibers, thus drawing them into strands. The strands were
then spun together into yarn, by using a spinning wheel.
"Didn't Sleeping Beauty prick her finger on one of those things and then
fell asleep for a hundred years?" someone observed.
"It was the spindle on a spinning wheel, but that was total fantasy," the
instructor observed. "It never really happened."
After having a chance to try their hand at carding the wool and then an
opportunity to spin it into yarn, the students were also given a chance to
use an old-fashion loom, to weave the yarn into fabric. After they had
done this, they were then shown several examples of the rough, homespun
fabrics that might have been used to make their clothing, had they lived
during that time period. Sammy was given a chance to take off his shirt
and try on a homespun garment, along with a few others.
"This is scratchy," Sammy observed. "It sure doesn't feel as soft as my
undershirt."
"Yeah, it makes me itch," anther boy added.
"I can't imagine only wearing clothes made from this stuff," Sammy stated.
"I guess I would have stuck to clothes made from animal hides."
This led to a conversation about what other things might have been used to
make clothing, including various plant material. In the end, I think
everyone was pleased his or her clothes weren't as uncomfortable to wear.
At another site, the students were given the opportunity to make candles,
under the supervision of a graduate assistant. After explaining how
candles would be made from tallow (animal fat), beeswax or, later, paraffin
(a byproduct of crude oil), he showed them how to use paraffin to make
their own candles. They used a variety of molds and were shown how to
attach the wicks. The candles would have been useless without the wicks,
so they theorized what materials might have been used for this purpose.
Later, they were given a chance to add color to the wax, if they so
desired, by adding pieces of crayon. However, they then conjectured what
substances might have been used to add color, prior to modern times.
The students were also given an opportunity to start a fire in an old wood
stove. This would be used to heat the wax needed to make the candles.
They were allowed to use wooden matches, but they had to ignite the tinder
first and then later get a blaze going with the firewood.
In another area, the students got a chance to try washing clothes, by using
a large washtub, a washboard and a bar of Fels-naptha laundry soap. They
had to pump their own water first, using an old-fashioned hand pump, and
they discovered how much more difficult this was than just turning on a
faucet.
"Did the women have to pump the water or did the men do it for them?" one
girl wanted to know.
"They usually did it for themselves," they were told.
"But it made my arms hurt," the girl replied.
"Well, the women from that era would have been pretty fit and used to doing
physical labor," he explained, but it only seemed to infuriate the girl.
"I'm pretty fit too," she snapped back. "I'm a cheerleader and we do lots
of lifts and stuff."
"That may be true," he agreed, "but it isn't the same as pumping water,
using a washboard, scrubbing floors by hand, carrying water, helping with
farm chores and other things of that nature." This seemed to let the steam
out of her argument, so the girl allowed the matter to drop.
After washing a few items, they got a chance to iron some other fabric,
using an old flatiron. After it was heated on the woodstove, they had to
retrieve it carefully, so they didn't get burned. They would wrap a folded
piece of cloth around the handle to do this, sometimes wetting it first,
before using the iron on the fabric.
"Man, this is heavy," one girl commented. "Way heavier than our iron at
home."
"That's because this one is mostly metal, not plastic, like the one you
use," he explained. "Keep moving the iron or you'll scorch the cloth," he
advised, when he saw her let the iron rest momentarily, as she talked.
"Okay, okay. I get the point," she responded, and then hurriedly began
ironing again.
At another site they were given the chance to churn butter, using an old
wooden butter churn, but they discussed the whole process of making butter
before they started. They talked about milking the cow by hand and
separating the cream from the milk, before they could churn the cream into
butter.
"Man, they had to do this just to have some butter," the boy doing the work
asked. "I think I would have used jelly or something else."
"Making jelly was just as much work," he was informed, "but I guess you
could have collected honey, if you didn't mind getting stung once in a
while."
"Dang, lifting this churn up and down is harder than it looks and my arms
are beginning to burn," the boy continued. "I don't even work this hard
practicing for sports."
"And the women and children would be mainly responsible for this getting
done," he advised them, which elicited a bunch of shocked expressions.
While at this location, the students also got an opportunity to see how a
smokehouse was used to cure meat. Part of the ensuing discussion was about
which types of wood worked best for this purpose and, of course, someone
said hickory, because he remembered hearing about hickory-smoked ham. The
group also talked about other ways to preserve food, such as using salt,
before the advent of refrigeration.
Another location gave them the chance to chop wood, using just an axe or
hatchet. This was done to show each group how they would get material to
construct a house or build furniture.
"I did this on a camping trip once," one boy observed, "but I wouldn't want
to have to do it to get enough wood to build a house or heat it all winter
long."
Once they chopped down a few small trees and removed some dead limbs from
others, the students were shown how to split the wood they would need for
cooking or heating their home during the cold winter months. Once the wood
was cut, the students were then shown how they could use an axe to split it
into smaller pieces, which would burn better. They were also shown how
splitting wedges and sledgehammers could be used for this purpose, instead
of just an axe.
"Man, you'd really have muscles if you did this for very long," one young
man observed.
"That's why many of our forefathers were so powerful and fit," the
instructor replied.
At still another area, the students were allowed to use two-man and one-man
handsaws, rasps, chisels and other handheld woodworking tools, to give them
a chance to see what it would have been like to make the furniture for
their home. After cutting the wood to the right length, they were given a
chance to smooth and shape it, before the final assembly. The students
were also shown a variety of items they might have built, if given the
time, from simple tables and benches to stools and chairs. They were also
shown a few bed frames and instructed as to how ropes would have been used
to supply the tautness to support the mattress, instead of using
bedsprings.
"Is a bed made like that really comfortable?" one of the students wanted to
know.
"Maybe not as comfortable as what you're used to," the instructor told
them, "but they were pretty good at the time."
At the final site, each group was given a chance to prepare a meal, but to
do this they had to work with adults and make everything from scratch.
They made soup using raw vegetables they'd picked from the garden and cut
up themselves, and they used water they had carried in from the manual pump
in front of the building. Once all of this had been placed in a huge iron
pot, they let it heat up on top of the woodstove.
The students also made bread dough and added yeast to make it rise. Of
course, this process would take time, so the dough they worked on was
switched out with another bowl of dough, which had been started in advance.
The students then baked this previously prepared dough to make bread, which
they would use later to make sandwiches. Of course there were no cold
cuts, so they would have to use meat the staff had cooked and cut up
beforehand.
When the group had finished these chores, they made a pudding for dessert.
It was not from a box mix, like they might do at home, but something they
had to put together from scratch. Once the pudding had been whipped
together, the students would cook it on the woodstove and then let it
set. When their next mealtime rolled around, the group ate the food they
had just fixed and bypassed the meal prepared by the staff for the others.
"Dang, it would have taken all day just to fix dinner," one student noted.
"Yes, meals did take a long time to prepare," he was told.
"Wow, that must have been a pain when you were hungry," he observed. "I
guess you had to eat a lot of fruits and vegetable back then, huh?"
"Well, you could go out and pick what you'd planted or was growing nearby,
so there wouldn't be as much waiting," the grad-assistant teased.
Sammy told me later that the camp was fun and he learned a great deal, but
he was glad he didn't live back then, because everything was too much work.
He said he found out the children had to do a share of the work and many
didn't get a chance to go to school because they had to do so much work at
home. If they did get an education, it only happened when there wasn't a
lot of work to be done, like during the winter months.
Sammy also informed me that with only candles and lanterns to use for
light, it was hard to do much at night, so everyone went to bed early and
got up early. He then went on to say doing that would certainly not be to
the liking of modern teens, because they like to stay up late and then
sleep late.
"Yes, I remember what it was like back then and it's a miracle I survived
growing up that way," I joked, but Sammy didn't catch on to the fact that I
was teasing him.
"You mean you had to use candles and lanterns too?" he asked.
"Heck, yes. I was in college before Edison invented the light bulb," I
added, but I guess this bit of information gave me away.
"Oh, dad, Edison's been dead for ages and you're not that old," he
countered. "Close, but not QUITE that old," he teased back.
After we finished our humorous banter, I discovered something else. No
matter how much Sammy learned or how much he enjoyed being at camp, it was
not the most memorable part of the trip. That happened on the way home.
Sammy was riding in the second bus and sitting in the third seat on the
right, when one of the kids in the front seat screamed something was wrong
with their bus driver. Sammy was sitting on the aisle, so he looked up and
saw the driver slumped over the wheel, but the bus was still traveling down
the highway.
Sammy and another boy reacted immediately and sprinted next to the driver.
When they reached him and realized he was unconscious, they also noted his
foot was still on the gas. Fortunately the bus was on a straight stretch
of highway at the time, but the boys could see they were approaching a
curve up ahead. Knowing he would have to act quickly, Sammy pulled the
driver's foot off the gas pedal, stretched his own leg across the bus
driver's leg and pressed on the brake. It took several seconds before the
bus began to slow down, but Sammy didn't bring it to a complete stop.
While he was stepping on the brake, Sammy told the other boy to have the
kids in the seat behind the driver grab the bus driver's clothes and pull
him upright. They needed to get his weight off the steering wheel, so
Sammy could use it. Once the others had accomplished this task, Sammy
worked the gas and steering wheel, so he could guide the bus off the road
and onto the shoulder. Once the bus was off the highway, Sammy used the
brake again, to bring the bus to rest, and then he took it out of gear and
turned off the ignition. Sammy and the other boy had managed to get
themselves and the others safely out of harm's way.
The other bus driver hadn't noticed anything amiss and continued on.
However, a short time later, he realized the second bus was no longer
behind him, so he pulled off the highway and turned his bus around. He
thought the other bus might have broken down, so he went back to see if he
could help.
By the time he spotted the missing bus, Sammy had already had one of the
other kids flag down a passing motorist, to call for help. Luckily the
driver that stopped had a cell phone and dialed 911 for help. When the
other bus arrived, the motorist and the other bus driver went to see if
there was anything they could do to help the unconscious driver.
It turned out Sammy's driver had passed out due to a low blood sugar level,
but he wasn't even aware he was diabetic. When the ambulance got there,
they revived him and took him to the hospital for observation, before he
was released. However, before that happened, another driver arrived to
take the bus the rest of the way home and the person who brought him waited
at the hospital, so he could take the other driver back too.
After seeing how Sammy had handled himself in this situation, I guess it
was fortuitous some of my older boys had been giving their younger brothers
driving lessons, but without my knowledge. Even though it had helped to
save the day, it was something I thought I should address, once the hoopla
from this event died down. I certainly didn't think encouraging underage
driving was such a good idea and I certainly didn't want my other drivers
teaching the rest. I wanted to handle those chores, to make certain
nothing was omitted and the proper skills and rules were emphasized.
All in all, I was grateful things had worked out the way they did. Sammy
not only had a good time at the camp and learned a lot in the process, but
he and the other boy were now hailed as heroes. The two boys received
quite a bit of attention, because of what they had done, and not only did
the local newspapers write it up, but the story also appeared as a footnote
on some of the national newscasts.
Both boys were given special recognition at their schools too and several
parents sent letters or cards expressing their gratitude for the pair's
quick thinking. It was highly probable they had saved many lives, due to
their actions. I guess it was just another shining moment, in the midst of
my many glimmering stars.
Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 6 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 34 -- Pomp and Circumstance.
The next event on our calendar was Mark's graduation, which was to take
place the second weekend in May. I arranged for his mother's plane ticket
and told her we'd meet her there, because I knew she'd have trouble
financing such a trip on her own. Her money situation, although improved,
was still not good enough to cover such a monetary output, so I offered to
do it for her.
I had originally planned on bringing the family with me, but changed my
mind for a couple of reasons. First of all, Cody's oncologist suggested it
might not be such a good idea for Cody to make this trip. His immune
system wasn't very strong yet and exposing him to so many new people, and
possibly different viruses and bacteria, might be too much for his body to
deal with. Besides, such a trip would be exhausting for him and being
fatigued would increase his risk of a setback.
In addition to this, the boys were in the final two weeks of the school
year, which meant they had projects to finish and finals to study for. I
didn't think taking them away at this time would be such a good idea, since
I didn't want them getting behind at this late date.
I still wanted Jake to go with me and we'd leave someone else in charge
while we were gone, but he argued it would be best for him to stay with
Cody and the other boys. He insisted Cody needed one of us, but then went
on to urge me to go with Mark. He said he'd take care of things at home.
Even though I also considered not going, Jake wouldn't hear of it. He
reminded me I was the guy Mark was most attached to and thought of as a
father figure. Jake then explained Mark would be devastated if I didn't
attend and I could only concede he was probably correct. In the end, I was
the only one to accompany Mark to his graduation, although we were still
going to meet up with his mother there.
Mark told me later he actually preferred it this way, because it made him
feel as if it were just his dad and him making their way to the ceremony.
Since his mother was going to be there too, he admitted it would also be as
if he had two parents with him, so he'd no longer feel so different from
the other graduates. Even though Mark is now an adult and graduating from
college, the pain and disappointment associated with growing up without a
father has never seemed to have left him. For that reason, I was glad I
could at least serve as a substitute on this occasion and ease some of the
hurt he had borne for so many years.
My role in this would be small, but I was happy to do my part. Mark's
mother had been his rock and entire world for most of his life, so my
importance would most likely end, once she joined us. I wasn't jealous and
didn't regret what I felt would happen, because that was the way it should
be. I was still willing to be there for him, but I wasn't going to
interfere. I would defer to the wonderful lady who had raised this fine
young man.
Mark was very talkative on the plane and told me several things I doubt he
had ever shared with anyone else before. Even though he remembered next to
nothing about his father, he did have many strong emotions still tied to
those early years, when he and his mother were on their own. He informed
me how they had struggled to survive after his father left, because his
mother didn't have many skills. For that reason, she had to accept very
low-paying jobs just to cover the rent and have enough left over to buy
food.
She would then work a second low-paying job to make enough money to provide
what clothing they had to wear and pay the utilities and other bills. Mark
was a little embarrassed as he explained how their church helped them get
other things, including the few simple luxuries they were able to enjoy.
Mark also confided to me that their pastor brought them a Christmas basket
for several years, just to make certain they wouldn't have to suffer
through the holidays without something special to look forward to. This
basket would contain food for their Christmas dinner, a few sweets, a
little something for Mark's mother and some sort of a game or toy for him.
He said they always appreciated the gift basket, but as he grew older, Mark
found it harder to accept such a handout.
As soon as he was old enough to work, Mark started taking jobs mowing
lawns, raking leaves, babysitting, running errands and eventually
delivering newspapers. He then offered the money he made to his mother, to
make things easier for her, but she wouldn't accept it from him. Even
though he felt bad when his offer was rejected, he did understand why his
mother wouldn't accept his earnings and came up with another way to do the
same thing. From that point on, he began buying many of his own things, so
his mother wouldn't have to.
Mark bought his own clothing, school supplies and whatever else he might
want, without getting carried away. He felt if he did this, his mother
could use the money she would have spent on him to purchase things for
herself. He told me he didn't think his mother ever did that though and,
instead, saved the money up, so she could buy him more for his birthdays or
on the holidays.
He explained that as he grew older and progressed to the middle school
grades, his mother began to take courses at a two-year college. While he
was in high school, she graduated from college and received her two-year
degree. At that point, she was able to secure a much better paying job,
although she still continued to work two jobs. She did this so she could
put money away for Mark to use for college. She emphasized many times that
the key to his success and future would be a good education, so he worked
hard in high school, and then at college, so he could repay his mother for
all her sacrifices.
During those more plentiful years, Mark continued to work, but would save
all his money and add it to his college fund. When it was time for him to
attend college, he used that money, combined with what financial aid he was
able to secure, loans he took out and the money he made by working part
time jobs to pay for his tuition, room and board. His mother still
continued to send him money, to help cover the costs of books and other
expenses that would pop up, and now he was looking forward to doing
something special to repay her for all she did for him.
At this point, I began to question him about her, so I could discover what
type of work she did, what she was like and get an idea whether or not she
might be willing to relocate. He wasn't willing to commit when I asked if
she'd be willing to move, even though we had talked about this before. I
wasn't sure of his reasons, but felt I had to explore it further.
I explained to him that since he was working in Pennsylvania and didn't
plan on returning to the area where he grew up, I wondered if she might be
willing to move closer to him. That way, they could still be together and
he could help take care of her. They'd also be able to see each other on a
regular basis, without him having to find another job. After talking this
over, he agreed it was a wonderful idea and admitted he had discussed it
with her after I first mentioned it. At that time, she told him she was
afraid he'd end up leaving this area too, which would leave her abandoned
in a strange community, with no friends.
He promised he'd bring it up to her again, once the graduation ceremony was
over, and thanked me for reminding him. He admitted it was something he
might not have thought about, with everything else going on, but felt this
would be the perfect opportunity to do it. She would be able to get to
know me and we could both tell her about the family and the area. He might
even be able to talk her into joining us for the holidays, so she would
have a chance to become familiar with everyone and everything. He said
he'd start saving for her plane ticket and I told him I'd help too, if we
got her to agree. He promised he'd take care of that, so we moved on to
other topics.
Mark then went back to telling me about his burning desire to have a father
he could do things with, especially when he was younger. When he was
little, he longed to play catch with his dad, go places with him or just
have his father show him some affection. He said for years it hurt because
he didn't have anyone to fill the role, so he would often lie in bed at
night and wonder what he had done to make his father leave.
He then confided to me that just when he thought he was over thinking about
such things, I came along and fulfilled some of his dreams. He confirmed
that after we met, he would tell his friends about me when they asked him
about his father and he fantasized I had been there for him all of his
life. He told me he knew it was a childish thing to do, even though I
tried to reassure him it was not. I explained many people fantasize about
various things in their lives, especially when it's to lessen painful
memories, and if it helped, so much the better. Mark also confessed that
thinking of me in this way made him finally feel like he belonged somewhere
and it also felt good to believe he had a father he could count on.
He told me he hoped I didn't mind him doing this, so I told him, if
anything, I was flattered. I assured him he could feel free to use me as
his surrogate father and I'd love to help him any way I could. He informed
me that just coming to the graduation with him and arranging the ticket for
his mother was more than enough. He explained she had been using all her
extra money to help pay for his education, so it was still rough for her
financially. Even though it would have been tough, he knew his mother
would have scraped the money together somehow, so she could be there when
he graduated. Since I purchased her ticket, she could still be there, but
it wouldn't cause her any financial hardship.
Mark also explained the best part about it was, since the ticket came from
me, she didn't dare refuse it. She had told Mark she didn't want to risk
the chance of offending me by refusing my offer; especially after all I'd
done for him, like helping him get a good job. I laughed at the fact that
I had inadvertently intimidated his mother and then confirmed I've always
been glad to help in whatever way I could. I told him I would be doing
more for him in the future and then Mark surprised me by giving me a hug
and whispering in my ear.
"Thanks, Dad. You're actually better than I ever dreamed you'd be."
I was deeply touched by his comment, and after a few tearful moments
together, we settled back to enjoy the rest of the trip. When we arrived
at the airport, I picked up the keys to the rental car and then we waited
for his mother to arrive. Her plane was scheduled to touch down about
forty-five minutes after ours, so we decided it would be best if we waited
there for her, rather than wander off.
During the interim, I took Mark to have a beer with me. It was sort of a
congratulatory drink, but it was also meant to help him settle down.
Between his upcoming graduation and seeing his mother again, he was pacing
about like an expectant father and exhibited the nerves of a bridegroom
waiting for the wedding to begin. Seeing there was still more time before
his mother arrived, we had a second drink, but kept our eyes on the
arrival-departure screen, as we wanted to know the exact moment her plane
landed.
Mark was actually the one who saw the screen change, denoting his mother's
plane had touched down, so we rushed to the luggage area to meet her. Once
he spotted her, Mark ran over and began to hug and kiss her, before he
lifted her off the ground and swung her around, like some sort of dance
move. When he finished his excited greeting, he set her down again and
dragged her over to meet me. Although I knew he'd do that, I was surprised
by what he said. "Mom, I'd like you to meet my new dad, Josh Currie. And,
Dad, this is my mom, Susan Williams."
The two of us looked awkwardly at each other for a few seconds and then she
broke the silence. "It's Sue, and I'm glad Mark has finally found someone
he can trust and rely on as a role model." She smiled at me.
"And I'm Josh, and I'm pleased to meet you too. Thank you for the
compliment, but I'm pretty fond of this young man. He's done a tremendous
job handling my personal accounts and those of our foundation, and he's
also become a valued addition to my family. My boys all think the world of
him and it's been a pleasure to have him with us for the past couple of
summers."
"Well, I know he's enjoyed it too," she responded, "and I'm glad he's had
such a caring family to spend time with."
After we exchanged a little more small talk, Mark picked up his mother's
luggage and carried it to the car. We drove over to the hotel first, so we
could check in. I'd reserved a room for her and another for Mark and
myself, and now I wanted us to be able to go to our rooms and clean up
quickly, because I planned on taking them both out to dinner tonight. The
graduation ceremony wasn't until the following afternoon, so this would
give us time to get to know each other better.
Although Mark's mother was hesitant to let me do this for them, she finally
gave in and we went out and had a great time. The restaurant was nice, the
food good and the wine delicious, but the company was outstanding.
I let Mark and his mother carry the conversation at first, as he filled her
in on everything he'd been doing. He told her about his new girlfriend and
then brought up the topic of whether or not she might be willing to move,
as it looked like he'd be staying in Pennsylvania. He told her he loved
his job, made good money and couldn't see returning home, which caused her
to look more than a little sad. After a brief pause, as she took some time
to consider his proposition, she finally responded.
"Mark, I've thought about this a great deal since you first mentioned it,"
she began. "The only thing I have in this world that's important to me is
you, so if that is where you plan to live, I'd be happy to live there too.
That is, if you want me to live that close to you."
"Want? I need you to be there, so I don't have to worry about you or miss
you all the time," he explained. "Once you're there, I'll have my mom and
dad in the same place." She glanced at me again when he said this, so I
decided it was time for me to say something to Mark about what he had said.
"Mark, I don't think your mother feels comfortable with you referring to me
like this. Maybe you should just call me Josh." Now, he looked at me and
then at her, but she responded before he had a chance to say anything about
my comment.
"It's not that it bothers me, Josh, but I was afraid it might bother you,"
she explained. "I know how badly Mark has always wanted a father in his
life and it always pained me that I couldn't do anything to help him in
that respect. I was happy to learn he thought so much of you that he
wanted you to fill the void for him, but I needed to be sure it was all
right with you too. I didn't want him pressuring you into anything you
weren't ready for or didn't want."
"That certainly is not the case here," I replied, in an attempt to reassure
her and Mark. "I'm honored he feels this way about me and I couldn't be
any prouder of him, even if he were my biological son. I have many adopted
sons, as you're probably well aware, but there is always room for one more.
I'm very willing, and very happy, to be a surrogate father for him, if
that's what he wants and, of course, if it meets with your approval."
"Are you kidding?" she asked, rhetorically. "It's been a secret dream of
mine that Mark would find someone to fill this role in his life and ease
his pain. I just want to thank you for being there for him."
"It is certainly my pleasure and he's done as much for my family and me, as
I could ever do for him," I told her. "No, he's probably done more, but I
shall try to make it up to him for that."
At this point, his mother stood up and walked toward me. As I stood, to be
polite, she embraced me with every ounce of strength she had and then
kissed me on the cheek. When I looked down at her, her eyes were filled
with tears, although I knew they were tears of happiness. She thanked me
once more, after adding a comment about Mark making an excellent choice.
After that we sat and talked a little more, over coffee and dessert, and
then I even asked her to dance, since there was a small dance floor and a
three-piece band.
I think Mark got a big kick out of this, seeing his mom and dad dancing,
and possibly it fulfilled another of his fantasies. All in all, it was a
very nice evening. When it was over, we went back to our rooms and turned
in for the night, because we had another long day ahead of us tomorrow.
The next day I drove everyone to Mark's graduation. Almost as soon as we
got there, he went off to join his class. We watched him as he walked away
and noted he looked extremely handsome in his cap and gown. After he left,
his mother and I went off to find seats, while trying to select a good
vantage point to watch this from. As we sat and waited, we observed the
other proud parents enter and make their way to their seats, and this
brought back memories of when my older children had graduated from college.
It wasn't much longer before the ceremony began and we both stood and
applauded when Mark received his degree. We were both amazed to learn that
he had graduated summa cum laude, which meant he had earned the second
highest honors one could receive. He hadn't mentioned this fact to either
of us or indicated he had done so well, but now we were both bursting at
the seams.
We could hardly wait to see him in person and congratulate him, but when he
joined us we both gave him hell for not informing us beforehand about
receiving honors. Once we had done this, we switched gears and praised him
for how well he had done. He responded to our chiding by informing us that
he wanted to surprise us and then left it at that, which was typical of
Mark.
After enjoying a celebratory meal after the ceremony, we all got our things
and headed for the airport to catch our flights. Before we parted ways, we
informed Sue to start packing once she got back home, because she'd soon be
moving nearer to us. I told her I'd arrange for her to stay with friends,
until she had a chance to select a place of her own, and I'd have her
things shipped here, at my expense. Once she felt comfortable, we'd help
her find a job, which shouldn't be too difficult, considering her field.
She was a dental hygienist and there always seemed to be a constant demand
for individuals with this training, at least right now. She thanked us
both, kissed her son good-bye and then we all headed to the gates our
flights would be leaving from.
Although we talked a little more on the flight back, we spent most of our
time sleeping. We arrived home Sunday morning, picked up the car from the
parking lot and drove the rest of the way. I had already talked to Mark
about holding his graduation party the following weekend, in conjunction
with Frankie and Dustin's graduations. At first he balked, saying the
party should be just for them, since we had already celebrated with his
mother. He thought they should receive all the recognition and didn't want
to impose on their moment in the spotlight. I told him that was nonsense
and the other pair would feel bad, if his accomplishments weren't honored
too.
After telling him I'd hold a separate party for him, if he didn't like the
idea of a joint party, he started to relent. After I also convinced him
Frankie and Dustin wouldn't mind, he finally agreed to let me hold one big
party for the three of them. The weekend after that we'd hold another big
party for the high school graduates, and I was certain everyone would be
fine with this.
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